PlainCopyGuide
Make a Searchable PDF on iPhone
Short answer
A searchable PDF has an invisible text layer under the page image, so you can search, select and copy its words. PlainCopy Pro adds that layer with on-device OCR in 12 or more languages, detected automatically, and searches the text of every scan in your library. Nothing is uploaded.
Updated
What Is a Searchable PDF?
A PDF whose pages are images with a hidden layer of text placed over the words. The page looks the same, but Preview, Files, Spotlight and any PDF app can find and copy the text. The process that reads the words is called OCR, optical character recognition.
How Do I Make a Scan Searchable in PlainCopy?
Turn on Searchable (OCR) in the Share sheet before you send, or open the document and tap Text to read it now. For every new scan, use Settings › Make PDFs Searchable, which is on by default with Pro. OCR runs when you save, and the PDF in Files carries the text layer.
| Task | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Search documents by title | Yes | Yes |
| Smart naming from the text of the first pages | Yes | Yes |
| Add a text layer to a scan (OCR) | No | Yes |
| Search words inside every page | No | Yes |
| Make every new scan searchable automatically | No | Yes |
| Open, select and copy text in a searchable PDF made with Pro | Yes | Yes |
Which Languages Does OCR Read?
At least 12 on every supported iPhone: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Ukrainian. Newer iOS versions read more: Arabic, Thai and Vietnamese on iOS 18, and on iOS 26 also Czech, Danish, Dutch, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish and Turkish. The language is chosen automatically page by page, with correction for common misreads. Handwriting is read where the language supports it. There is no language setting to get wrong.
Does OCR Work Offline?
Yes. PlainCopy uses Apple's on-device text recognition, so it works in airplane mode, and your pages never leave the phone.
Can I Search Inside Every Scan?
With Pro, yes. Search in the library looks through titles and the text of every page, and shows the page and a snippet for each hit. Without Pro, search covers titles. The index is built on your phone from your own files.
What Happens to Searchable PDFs If Pro Ends?
They keep their text layer. Anything you made with Pro stays yours: the PDF still searches, selects and copies in any app, and PlainCopy still shows its text. Only new OCR and full-text search wait until Pro is back. If you edit the pages of a searchable PDF without Pro, PlainCopy asks first, because saving rebuilds the pages without their text.
OCR Questions
Is OCR free?
No. OCR is a Pro feature. Pro is $34.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, $6.99 a month, or $59.99 once.
Does OCR change how the page looks?
No. The text layer is invisible; the page image stays as scanned.
Can I copy the text out?
Yes. Tap Text on the document to read, select and copy it, or select text in any PDF app.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. Recognition runs on your iPhone.
Try Pro Free for 7 Days
Searchable PDFs in 12 or more languages, on your phone. Anything you make with Pro stays yours.